Improvement in potato-diggers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE H. BENNITT, OF HAMBURG, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,449, dated November 27, 1877; application filed July 30, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE H. BENNITT, of Hamburg. in the county of Livingston and State of Michigan, have invented an Improved Potato-Digger, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention relates to an improvement in potato-diggers of that class which are provided with a shovel to take up the tubers, and teeth to pull off the vines; and

. it consists, mainly, in the employment of a cranked axle, and in the mechanism for operating it so as to raise and lower the shovel.

Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinalsection, showing the shovel lowered. Fig. 3 is a similar section, showing the frame raised.

In the drawing, Arepresents a metallic axle with cranked arms, on which are mounted the traction-wheels B B. The axle supports,an A-shaped frame, C, under which is suspended, by means of braces D D, a shovel, E, so pitched as to enter the ground and run under the tubers. The rear .edge is armed with a series of upwardly-curved metal fingers, a, which sift out the potatoes and strip off their vines as they pass over the same.

F is the tongue, whose rear end is pivoted in the fore part of the frame 0, and whose pitch may be adjusted in a clevis-frame, b, at the apex of said frame 0.

A lever, G, is secured to the axle, (which passes through the frame,) and is provided with a locking-latch, Gr, whose toe engages with a quadrant, 0, on one side of the frame 0, 4

and by means of which the said frame and its shovel may be raised or lowered by a partial rotation of the cranked axle, in order to clear or to dig under the hills, as required, while the latch looks it after adjustment.

The pitch of the shovel may be adjusted by that of the tongue.

This implement is equally well adapted for use as a bean-puller, in which case the shovel is run over the ground so as to clear it, while the fingers pull the vines.

What I claim as my invention is- The combination of the cranked axle A, wheels B, frame 0, braces D, fingered shovel E, adjustable tongue Fflever Gr, latch G, and

quadrant c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JESSE H.'BENNITT. Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, H. L. AULLS. 

